HIT AND RUN MOTORIST

Evening Star, Issue 23123, 24 November 1938, Page 12

HIT AND RUN MOTORIST

INTOXICATION ADMITTED PRISON FOR TWENTY-ONE DAYS [Pan United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, November 24. After admitting intoxication while in charge of a motor car in Queen street early on Thursday morning in the Police Court to-day, Ronald Eric Phimester (55), a cabinetmaker, was sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment with hard labour, and his license cancelled for 18 months. Sub-inspector Fox said that, in view of the plea of guilty to intoxication, the police had decided not to bring an indictable charge because of failure to stop after a collision with a smaller car, which capsized with its four occupants. Phimester drove on, followed by three taxi men in their cars, but they were unable to overtake him. Half an hour later, at 12.45 a.m., a constable found Phimester sitting in his car with a companion in Upper Queen steet. Phimester was intoxicated, which fact he admitted at the police station. He said the reason he did not stop was that he did not wish the names of two women passengers to be divulged. He recovered quickly, and at 1.15 a.m. a doctor said he was not intoxicated.